Uetz Interviewed in Automotive News About How Automakers Are Speeding Up Production of Ventilators Under Defense Production Act

20 April 2020Automotive NewsNews

Partner Ann Marie Uetz was interviewed in the Automotive News article, “Speed key as GM, suppliers align on ventilators,” about the Defense Production Act and its role in the auto industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Uetz, who heads Foley’s coronavirus task force and is a member of the firm’s automotive industry team, told Automotive News that automakers and suppliers had already been negotiating before the president invoked the Defense Production Act. “Maybe some suppliers have greater comfort now that GM has finalized its contract with the federal government in the sense that they know that those terms are set, so their terms with GM can be set. We've got a number of manufacturing clients, for example, who are in that chain, who are already finalizing purchase orders with GM and ordering goods and materials, and supporting the transition of assembly lines over to support the production of the ventilators,” she said.

Uetz also discussed how the act has affected production, financial implications and the stakes for the industry.